Frangois lamboley



(No Model.) 7.

- F. LAMBOLEY.

CLASP.

No. 412,514. Patent-fed Oct. 8, 1889.

Arm/ME N. PKTERS. Phola-Lilhographer. wqullin lm n. c:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANQOIS LAMBOLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,514, dated October 8, 1889. Application filed February 1, 1889. Serial No. 298,322. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANQOIS LAMBOLEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clasp for Garments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a clasp device designed more especially for holding the folds of outer garments securely closed-such, for instance, as cloaks, Wraps, or furs-and in a manner allowing the garment to be almost instantly thrown open by simply touching theclasps. The clasps may also be applied as a fastening to shoes, gloves, or various other articles of utility.

It is the object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient clasp of this character; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of' parts of the clasp, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar'letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the clasp in open condition. Fig. 2 is an outside end view of the clasp as when closed. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the clasp as applied to a garment for holding its folds closed, and Fig. 4 is a front face view of the clasp and portions of the folds of a garment held closed by its I will first particularly describe the clasp with more special reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, as follows:

The clasp consists of a main attachingplate A, a catch-plate B, hinged to it preferably by a torsion coil-spring C, a retainingstud D, fixed to the plate A, and a catch E, adapted to engage a lip on said stud and formed with or fixed to the catch-plate. The main plate A may be attached to a garment fold or other object or article in any approved manner, as by sewing it thereto; but I show the plate provided with four prongs a, formed in stamping or pressing it out, and which are adapted to be passed'through the garment or article and then bent up or clinched at the inner face thereof in a manner well understood, and shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The torsion spiral or coiled spring hinge O is preferably made of spring-wire, and is soldered or otherwise fixed at its opposite ends 0 c to the plates A B, and ranges transversely between both plates at one end of them and acts normally to open the clasp, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The stud D on the fastening-plate A is preferably provided at the outer end with a lip d, which projects rearward toward the spring-hinge, so as to overlie and more surely or safely retain the bight of-a loop f, which is held to one fold of a garment F, to the opposite fold of which the clasp is attached, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The stud D has also an outwardly-projecting lip d, which is preferably beveled off laterally, so that when the clasp is closed the hook-head or shouldere on the catch E of the outer plate B will strike the inclined face of the lip d of the stud D and ride over it and finally catch beneath the lip to lock the clasp closed.

It will benoticed that the spiral or coiled spring hinge 0 allows sufficient lateral motion of the outer or free end of the plate B to permit the engagement of the catch with the stud, as above described, and the inherent elasticity of the spring holds the catch to the stud with sufficient force to make a very firm fastening, which, however, may be easily disconnected or unfastened by lateral pressure on the upper edge of the outer plate B to re lease the catch-shoulder c from the stud-lip d, and when this is done the hingespring instantly and automatically opens the clasp.

Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings clearly show that when the ordinary cord or braid loop f on one fold of the garment F is slipped over the stud D of the clasp attached to the other fold of the garment and the plate E is closed and latched to the stud D the loop will be retained to hold the folds of the garment closed, either edge to edge, as shown, or lapped onto each other, if preferred.

I specially mention the extension of the catch E, so that when it is engaged by the stud D it extends along the side edge of the stud nearly or quite to the plate A, to which ICC more secure will be the engagement of the catch with the stud. The gar1nent-loop may be almost instantly released from the clasp by pressing downward with one finger on the upper edge of the outer end of plate B to disengage the catch from the stud, and the spring-hinge C will then instantly open the clasp, as will readily be understood from the aforesaid description.

The outer plate B of the clasp may be ornamented in various Ways, as by engraving, or stamping, or enameling; or it may have ornaments of any material or design fixed to it as the conditions of its use, for fastening cloaks, coats, fur wraps, or other articles of wearing-apparel, or of utility may suggest or require.

llavin g thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1, In a clasp, the combination, with a main plate provided with a stud having a lip or projection, of an outer plate hinged to the main plate and provided with a catch, which has a laterally-ranging'notch and engages the stud-lip bya lateral movement, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a clasp, the combination, with a main plate provided with a stud having a lip or projection, of an outer plate having a catch adapted to engage the lip-stud and hinged to the main plate by a spiral or coiled spring, which normally opens the clasp when the catch is disengaged from the stud, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a clasp, the combination, With a main plate provided with a stud having a lip or projection, of an outer plate hinged to the main plate and having a catch provided with a laterally-ranging notch and adapted to engage the stud by alateral movement and projecting at the side of the stud when the clasp is closed, substantially as shown and described, whereby aloop or other object drawing on the stud when the clasp is closed will also draw on the catch to hold it to the stud, as set forth.

4. The combination, in a clasp, of a main plate A, provided with a stud D, having a lip d, and an outer plate B, hinged to the plate A by a spiral or coiled torsion-spring O, and provided with a catch E, adapted to lock with the stud-lip d, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

FRANQOIS LAMBOLEY.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. GOODWIN, EDGAR TATE. 

